Property accountability: Can a Soldier sign for equipment that is in an area or room that he or she is not authorized to go into?

I have not yet I wanted to research it first so I know my facts are correct before talking to my chain

Is the equipment in secure areas due to the hazard? You are at USAMRIID so it doesn't sound like it's in a classified area, merely in a hazardous area that they restrict access to essential personnel only. I would agree with SFC (Join to see). If you can be escorted in, do so to verify then sub-hand receipt. If you cannot verify, I would not sign for it. May want to explain that to your NCOIC.

I think the simple answer here is not to sign for it. I know it is never that easy, but the idea of hand receipts are to be signed by the lowest level that uses the equipment. For example, the Company Commander is the hand receipt holder, however he signs equipment to the Unit Armorer who is responsible for that equipment. The Armorer maintains the equipment but even he/she is not the one who uses it the most. The weapons card is a type of hand receipt that the Soldier gives the Armorer to take the weapon out. In this process there are a total of 3 different individuals signed for the equipment. In your case, if you have no access to that area, and do not use the equipment, then you have no need to be signed for it.

most property book managers would scoff at your idea of having each user of equipment to have their own individual hand receipt through pbuse as opposed to simplified hand receipt holders who sub hand receipt via old fashioned 2062. weapons cards are an indicator of what assigned equipment an individual is authorized to draw out, it it used in conjunction with a log and there may be several items that a person won't have had a weapons card done up for. Most likely what is going on here is: the old hand receipt holder had access to these areas and there was good reason for them to be accountable for said equipment and the paperwork hadn't been altered to account for the new hand receipt holders lack of access.

The text you'e offered has nothing to do with the situation. A more appropriate example would be the previously mentioned sofa, or a desk perhaps; an item or peice of equipment that pbo has established accountability for but has not assigned to a property book as its value is not high enough. Your example has to do with commanders performing change of command inventories, hence why they must be conducted within a time frame. The main post said nothing of that they hadn't seen it, for all we know he may have been shown it, but realized later he couldn't get in whenever he wanted to.

No my example has to do with change of hand receipts as there are many hand receipt holds within a organization not just the Commander. Either way if it is on the hand receipt I am doing an inventory.

It specifically references the property book, not hand receipts, thereby leading me to believe it is dealing with command level inventories
DA PAM 720-2-1 chapter 5-3 deals with hand receipt holders inventories

Or, if you'd like to reference the entirety of the section PBO's. 5–4. Other transfers of accountability
a. The transfer of custody or accountability of installation real property will be per AR 405–45 and DA Pam
405–45.
b. Accountability for property carried on a property book will be transferred to a successor per AR 710–2. A joint
inventory will be conducted for any property not hand receipted by the PBO. The inventory will be conducted within
the time frame prescribed in AR 710–2.
(1) The incoming PBO will complete a formal statement assuming property book accountability. Specific wording is
in AR 710–2.
(2) The PBO statement will be filed with the property book or automated equivalent.
(3) For ARNG only (on the same page as the PBO statement), the ARNG USPFO, or designated representative will
complete the following statement after the joint property book inventory is made: “Property records verified (date)
(Signature of USPFO or representative.”)
(4) The new PBO will be accountable for the property on signing the statement or on expiration of the time limits
set forth in AR 710–2, whichever occurs first. PBO changing of property book accounts and hand receipt holders are not even close to the same requirements.